Description

CEDRIC SHARPE (MAIDA VALE, LONDON, ENGLAND 13 APRIL 1891 – STEYNING, SUSSEX, ENGLAND, UK, 7 JULY, 1978)

 

 

 

 

He studied cello at the Royal College of Music later becoming professor of cello at the Royal Academy of Music — the start of a long teaching career. During the inter-War years he became a prominent player of both chamber and orchestral music. Cedric Sharpe was born in Maida Vale, London, England, in 1891, the son of Herbert Sharpe a professor of piano and composer at the Royal College of Music in London. From the age of seven he studied under Tennyson Werge, a cellist who had performed with his father in London concerts. He continued his studies with the cellist W. H. Squire at the Royal College of Music gaining a scholarship there in 1907 at the age of 16. After completing his studies he left the Royal College of Music in 1912. In 1913 he married Evelyn Blanche Jennings a composer of songs and settings of poems; they had a son and a daughter. Sharpe became a prominent player of both chamber and orchestral music. In 1914 along with James Lockyer (viola) and the London String Quartet he performed in the first British public performance of Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht at the Bechstein Hall in London. In 1915 he formed the Philharmonic Quartet with Arthur Beckwith (1st violin), Eugene Aynsley Goossens (2nd violin) and Raymond Jeremy (viola). WW I interrupted their work as some of the members were called up for service; they re-formed in 1918 with Frederick Holding and Thomas Peatfield as 1st and 2nd violins. The quartet was active until the early 1940s. In 1924 Sharpe founded the Virtuoso Quartet with Marjorie Hayward (1st violin), Edwin Virgo (2nd violin) and Raymond Jeremy (viola). They made frequent tours of the British Isles sometimes forming quintets with other well-known players of the day, for example Leon Goossens (oboe), William Murdoch (piano), Harriet Cohen (piano) or Arnold Bax. In 1926 with Dale Smith (baritone) and Sidonie Goossens (harp) they performed in a BBC concert of contemporary music which was broadcast from the New Chenil Galleries studios in Chelsea over the radio station 2LO. Sharpe was also a member of several other ensembles – the Chamber Music Players, the Chamber Music Trio, the English Trio, the Trio Players with Eda Kersey (violin) and Gerald Moore (piano), the Harp Ensemble and the Cedric Sharpe Sextet (formed in 1930) which was broadcast regularly by the BBC in the years leading up to the WW II. In 1933, the Trio Players along with Enid Cruickshank (contralto) performed three of Schoenberg’s lieder: “Ewartung” and “Schenk Mir Deinen Goldenen” from Opus 2 and “Hochzeitslied” from Opus 3. These were broadcast over London Regional along with works solely for trio by Beethoven, Berlioz, Ireland and Schubert. Sharpe was principal cello for the New Symphony Orchestra (1930s and 1940s), director and principal cello for the London Symphony Orchestra (1930s and 1940s), principal cello with the Royal Albert Hall orchestra and principal cello with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden orchestra (1940s). He played cellos by David Tecchler (dated 1701) and Charles Buthod (dated 1897). In 1928 Sharpe became professor of cello at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His teaching career was to span nearly 40 years before his retirement in 1966 at the age of 75. He contributed to books about cello technique, for example editing and revising “The Violoncello” a primer originally written by Jules de Swert in 1920. The cellist Dennis Vigay (born 1926) was amongst Sharpe’s pupils. Sharpe’s compositions date mainly from between the two World Wars. He wrote a number of original pieces for cello and piano, a number of arrangements for cello and piano, some original and arranged songs in ballad style and two pieces for light orchestra. He died in Steyning, Sussex, England, UK in 1978 aged 87.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Abendlied (St Amarie) (piano Miss CECIL DIXON) HMV 4-7858 Bb 13912-2

Allemande (J. B. Senaille, arr. J. Salmen) (piano Miss CECIL DIXON) HMV 3-7861 Bb 3194-2

Andantino (Song of the Soul) (Edwin H. Lemare, arr. W H Squire) HMV 3-7853 Bb 2923-2

Chanson de Matin, Op.15 No. 2 (Elgar) (piano Miss CECIL DIXON) HMV E262 2-7887

Chanson de Nuit, Op.15 No. 1 (Elgar) (piano Miss CECIL DIXON) HMV E262 2-7886

Chant du ménéstrel Op. 71 (Glazunov) (piano Miss CECIL DIXON) HMV Bb 2924 2-5-23

Elegie (Massenet) w. Feodor Chaliapin (bass) and Ivor Newton (piano) HMV DB1525 (32-2226)

La paloma (Yradier) HMV 2-7864 HO 4783 ae

Little Columbine Op. 22 (Sammons) (piano Miss CECIL DIXON) HMV 4-7861 Bb 13915-1

Minuet (Beethoven, arr. Sharpe) (piano Miss CECIL DIXON) HMV B2390 3-7878

Petite Suite de Concert Demande et Reponse (Coleridge-Taylor, arr. Cedric Sharpe) HMV 3-7852 Bb 2922-1

Prière (W. H. Squire) HMV 2-7851 y 19953e

Sarabande (J. B. Senaille, arr. J. Salmen) (piano Miss CECIL DIXON) HMV 3-7860 Bb 3193-2

Serenade (Pierne) (piano Miss CECIL DIXON) HMV 3-7881 B2390

Serse (Händel) Largo in G HMV D436

Simple aveu, Romance sans paroles (Thomé) (piano Miss CECIL DIXON) HMV 3-7851 Bb 2877-3

The broken melody (van Biene) HMV 07884 HO 925 ac

The Tales of Hoffmann (Offenbach, arr. Max Waltag) Barcarolle (piano Miss CECIL DIXON) HMV Bb 335 4-7-21

Traumerei Op. 15 No. 7 (Schumann, transcribed Harold Samuel) (piano Miss CECIL DIXON) HMV 3-7850 Bb 2878-2

Twelve Talks on Melody Suite of Melodies from Alcina, Alexander‘s Feast Otho Handel [supplementary record] WALFORD DAVIES (piano, vln MARJORIE HAYWARD) HMV 32-671 Cc 16843-2

Twelve Talks on Melody Trio No 4 Op 11 Beethoven Largo in E flat [supplementary record] WALFORD DAVIES (piano, vln MARJORIE HAYWARD) HMV 32-672 Cc 16844-1

 

Beethoven: Quartet No. 6 in B-Flat, Op. 18, No. 6

VIRTUOSO STRING QUARTET (MARJORIE HAYWARD vln, EDWIN VIRGO vln, RAYMOND JEREMY viola, CEDRIC SHARPE cello)

Recorded from December 6, 1926, to January 31, 1927

HMV D 1206-D 1209, Cc9742, Cc9743, Cc9761, Cc9762, Cc9763, Cc9785, Cc9786

Studio B, Hayes, England

 

Beethoven: Quartet No. 12 in E-Flat, Op. 127

VIRTUOSO STRING QUARTET (MARJORIE HAYWARD vln, EDWIN VIRGO vln, RAYMOND JEREMY viola, CEDRIC SHARPE cello)

Recorded from October 26, 1925, to October 12, 1926

HMV D 1183-D 1187, Cc7022, Cc7023, Cc7059, Cc7060, Cc7503, Cc7506, Cc7507, Cc7552, Cc7553

Studio B, Hayes, England

 

Beethoven: Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2

VIRTUOSO STRING QUARTET (MARJORIE HAYWARD vln, EDWIN VIRGO vln, RAYMOND JEREMY viola, CEDRIC SHARPE cello)

Recorded May 20 and June 18, 1924

HMV D 953-D 956, Cc4540, Cc4614, Cc4615, Cc4616, Cc4617, Cc4690, Cc4691, Cc4692

Studio B, Hayes, England

 

Franck: Quartet in D Major

VIRTUOSO STRING QUARTET (MARJORIE HAYWARD vln, EDWIN VIRGO vln, RAYMOND JEREMY viola, CEDRIC SHARPE cello)

Recorded January 14 to April 20, 1925

HMV D 1006-D 1011, Cc5588, Cc5589, Cc5595, Cc5596, Cc5597, Cc5622, Cc5623, Cc5624, Cc5625, Cc5892, Cc5893, Cc5894

Studio B, Hayes, England

 

Idyll No. 1 (Bridge) Virtuoso String Quartet with Marjorie Hayward (violin), Edward Virgo (violin) and Robert Jeremy (viola) HMV C1593 08424

Londonderry Air (Arr. Bridge) Virtuoso String Quartet with Marjorie Hayward (violin), Edward Virgo (violin) and Robert Jeremy (viola) HMV C1470 08346

Minuet from Quartet in E (Dittersdorf) Virtuoso String Quartet with Marjorie Hayward (violin), Edward Virgo (violin) and Robert Jeremy (viola) HMV D1187 08272

Molly on the Shore (Grainger) Virtuoso String Quartet with Marjorie Hayward (violin), Edward Virgo (violin) and Robert Jeremy (viola) HMV B2589 8523

Moment Musicale (Schubert) Virtuoso String Quartet with Marjorie Hayward (violin), Edward Virgo (violin) and Robert Jeremy (viola) HMV D1209 08305

Novelette No. 3 (Bridge) Virtuoso String Quartet with Marjorie Hayward (violin), Edward Virgo (violin) and Robert Jeremy (viola) HMV C1663 08482

Introduction and Allegro for harp with strings and woodwind, part 1, part 2 (Ravel) Virtuoso String Quartet with John Cockerill (harp), Robert Murchie (flute), Charles Draper (clarinet) HMV 08451, Cc 15828-2, Cc 15829-3

Serenade (Haydn) Virtuoso String Quartet with Marjorie Hayward (violin), Edward Virgo (violin) and Robert Jeremy (viola) HMV B3137 8578

Tambourin (Gossec, arr. Sharpe) Virtuoso String Quartet with Marjorie Hayward (violin), Edward Virgo (violin) and Robert Jeremy (viola) HMV B2589 8525

Widdicombe Fair (Harrison) Virtuoso String Quartet with Marjorie Hayward (violin), Edward Virgo (violin) and Robert Jeremy (viola) HMV B3137 8543

Emperor Quartet Op. 76 No. 3 (Haydn) Virtuoso String Quartet Variations with Marjorie Hayward (violin), Edward Virgo (violin) and Robert Jeremy (viola) HMV C1470 08348

Minuet in D minor (Mozart) Philharmonic String Quartet with Frederick Holding (first violin), Samuel Kutcher (second violin) and Raymond Jeremy (viola) HMV 8263 HO 5502 -2ae

Orientale, Op. 15 (Glazunov) Philharmonic String Quartet with Frederick Holding (first violin), Samuel Kutcher (second violin) and Raymond Jeremy (viola) HMV 8262 HO 5703 ae